Pedal-actuated stop mechanism for musical instruments.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1.908]

R. S. HILL. PEDAL AGTUATED STOP MECHANISM FOR. MUSIGAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION I'ILED DEC. 30,1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD STUART HILL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO BECKWITH ORGAN COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

PEDAL-ACTUATED STOP MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that I, RICHARD STUART HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Pedal-Actuated Stop Mechanism for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Thls invention relates to stop actions for organs, pianos and the like musical instruments, and the objects of my improvement are, simplicity of constructlon, durability, effectiveness, and ease and comparative inexpensiveness of manufacture. These objects I attain by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a detail sectional view in elevation showing the stop off Fig. 3, a detail sectional view in elevation showing the stop on; and, Fig. 4, a de tail front view.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

My invention is embodied in a transmittin lever 1, for transmitting motion from a pe al to the particular stop to be operated.

have shown my invention as embodied in a cabinet organ for the purpose of actuating the octave couplers with the foot instead of with the hand as is customary. This purpose, however, has been accom lished heretofore in a difierent way and I c 0 not desire to claim as my invention broadly mechanism for this purpose. The transmitting lever 1 consists preferably of a piece of wire or metal rod bent into the form shown in the drawin that is, having a portion in the form of a bai as shown at 1, two straight portions in axial line, which are pivoted, the one in a bearing block 2 secured to board 3, and the other in a bearing block 4 fastened to a cleat 5, which in turn is secured to the inner side of the end portion 6 of the organ case 7. The portion which passes through bearing block 4 is then extended as member 8 of the lever at right angles to the pivoted portion and terminates in a finger 9 parallel with the pivot portions. Thus an integral lever is produced, the one end of which terminates in the bail shown at 1 and the other portion 8 terminating in finger 9 and fulcrumed in block 4. 3

A connecting bar 10, provided with a hooked end 11, engages the bail of lever 1 by means of its hook. The end of bar 10 opposite the hook is attached to the outer crankportion of a crank-rod 12 which is journaled in a block 13 and is provided at its inner end with a crank adapted to bear against the under surface of the board 14 which carries the octave couplers. Motion is imparted to the transmission lever 1, and through it to the stop, from a pedal lever 15, which is operatively connected with a double crank rockbar 16. The bar 16 in turn is operatively connected with an upright double-hook bar 18. The bar 18 is kept in its normally raised position by a spring 17 attached at one of its ends to the bar and at its other to the end of case 7. Bar 18 is provided at its upper end with a forward extending and a backward extending hook adapted to engage the finger 9 and the bail of lever 1 respectively on its descent.

The operation of the device is as follows WVhen the octave couplers are out of commission the board 14 lies flat as shown in Fig. 2. Ifit is desired now to throw the octave coupler on, the pedal 15 is pressed down, rotating rock-shaft 16 and drawing bar 18 downward. It will be seen that, in its descent, bar 18 engages with its rearward extending hook the bail of lever 1 and sli" s backward to such a position that the bail fits into the angle of the hook and close against the rear edge of the bar. When thisoccurs, the forward hook is out of line with finger 9, and, therefore, when the bail of lever 1 is drawn downward, finger 9 at the op osite end of the lever rises, and the forwarf hook in. its descent does not engage finger 9 but passes to its rear. As shown in Fig. 3, when the bail of lever 1 is down, bar 10 is on a dead center, or its hook is slightly below the fulcrum of the lever, so that the device is locked in that position, and board 14 is held in the raised position, so that the coupler stop is on until further actuated by the performer. WVhen the pedal is released (Fig. 3) bar 18 rises and swings forward to its normal central position relative to the lever 1. In this position the forward hook of lever 18 is above and ready to engage finger 9. If new it is desired to throw the octave coupler out of commission, the erformer may do so by ressing upon peda 15 when the forward hoo of bar 18 engages and draws down finger 9, thereby raising the bail and allowing rod 10 to come forward and drop the coupler board 14.

It will be understood that, in as much as 5 lever 1 comprises the bail, lever 8, and finger 9 in one iece,.there is no possibility of lost motion ceveloping between these members and they therefore always 0 erate and remain in the same relation. T 1e lever in this 10 form is also easily, quickly, and cheaply made, being preferably made in a wire forming machine. It is easily mounted, because, the wire, being already round, is in a suitable form for being pivoted in the blocks.

Having thus described my invention so that any one skilled in the art pertaining thereto may make and use it, I claim An organ comprising in combination, a case, a pedal, an octave coupler, a vertical bar operatively connected with said pedal, said bar provided at its upper end with a forward-facing hook and a rearward-facing hook, a transmission-lever mounted in said case and operatively connected with said octave coupler, said transmission-lever com prising integrally a bail at one end in operative relation with said rearward-facing hook, and a finger at its opposite end in operative relation with said forward-facing hook;

RICHARD STUART HILL.

Witnesses:

G. L. ADLER, D. F. SCHROLL. 

